I don’t know how to break this to some of you, but Cat Ovens are quite popular here in Indonesia. I have found that there is usually one Cat Oven every couple of city blocks or so, at least on the main strips. Apparently, the competition among them is pretty fierce, so much so that they sometimes employ someone to hang around intersections and try to procure business while cars are stopped at a red light.

They’re not shy about what they do, either, and there is a certain amount of pride at working at a Cat Oven: it’s a much better job than some others, and you are helping keep the streets clean and looking their best.

I’ve seen different Cat Ovens: some are small little shacks that I would be worried about the cleanliness of, others are large, massive facilities about the size of a large gas station, and clearly make sure that they keep themselves in tip-top condition. The cleaner ones, I imagine they are vying for the valuable expat clientele, who it might surprise you use the Cat Ovens far more often than the locals. You would think it were the other way around, right?